For my second article I want to write an article on a religion that originated in Haiti that some Haitians call a disgrace to their culture: Voodou.
In American media, Voodou is highly stigmatized, but what some may not know is that it is also highly stigmatized in Haiti as well, especially among the Protestant faiths in Haiti. Many Haitians even blame Voodou-ism for the state Haiti is in now with disasters hitting the country every year.
In fact, Voodou is a combination of the religion the slaves brought back from Africa (will look up more on what country in Africa produced the most future-Haitian slaves) and also Roman Catholicism. Many people believe that Voodou is devil worshipping, but in fact, those who believe in Voodou are devout Catholics who believe in God. You are not even allowed to join the Voodou faith if you are not a Catholic.
I plan to not only be interviewing American born people on their view of Voodou, but Haitians who moved from Haiti to America (Haitian-Americans) as well. I want to know what their knowledge of the Voodou religion is and where and how they gained this view of the Voodou religion. I will then explain to them the background of Voodou (if they don’t know) and ask if their opinion on the religion changes.
When Sayara Uddin, 22, was asked to give a brief history about her mother land Bangladesh, she froze. She did not budge. Knowing the history of the country one’s family comes from can come easy to many people, however some Bengali-Americans in a predominantly Bengali community in Ozone Park, Queens, find themselves struggling to find their identity in the city that is referred to as a melting pot.
Poverty and corruption have taken over Bangladesh for many years, corruption being the most pervasive, hence the reason why the country remains uncivilized and there is lack of peace.
Bangladesh routinely finds itself among the most corrupt countries in the world. Even in the country’s police force, there is a high risk of encountering corruption due to low salaries, lack of training and expertise. When it comes to the government, there is no transparency between the people and the government. There have been efforts, however, to try to use information technology in order to enhance the transparency and efficiency of some government services.
The Bangladeshi tax administration is another example of corruption in the country. Irregular payments in connection with tax payments are common. It is common for businesses to negotiate their tax liabilities with the tax administration, whereby both parties enter into implicit agreements which involves regular informal payments.
The press in Bangladesh is considered to be partly free. The media is moderately active and public criticism of the government is common. Legal and regulatory framework allows for some restrictions, and physical attacks and harassment against reporters have recently increased, thus making Bangladesh an unsafe place for reporting at times. While freedom of association and assembly is guaranteed by the constitution, it is not always respected in. Freedom of speech and expression are restricted as well.
“Being born and raised in New York, I feel like I’m so Americanized that I have no idea about the history of the country my family comes from or even the slightest idea of what is going on there,” said Uddin. “But if you ask almost any other Bengali-American my age to tell you a little bit about Bangladesh, I bet they would struggle just like I did.”
Many young Bengali-Americans find themselves in a similar position as Uddin. Their lack of knowledge on the country most of their family comes from speaks volumes on the struggle of identity for those who were born here or spent most of their life here.
“I came here from Bangladesh when I was 17 in 1988 because my family knew coming to the land of opportunity meant wealth and a better life for us,” said Delwar Rahman, 46, who has been living in Ozone Park since coming to New York. “But I don’t know very much about Bangladesh or its history. I feel like growing up, all I saw was poverty and the only thing explained to me and taught in school was that the government was the root of all evil and corruption plagued the country since basically the beginning of its time.”
Rahman goes on to explain that because he has been living in America for almost 30 years now, he does not ever really find the need to look into what is going on back home. “It’s sad that I have nothing positive to say about Bangladesh, or anything to say at all when my kids ask me about Bangladesh because they want to know how life is there. But the truth is, when you come to America and live in New York especially, the only thing you can really think about is hustling and working day and night to provide for your family.”
The common ground many Bengali- Americans in Ozone Park share are their cultural values, the food they eat, the language they share and the experiences of being an immigrant and starting a family in the land of opportunity while barely being in touch with their roots.
The attitude that many Bengali-Americans like Uddin and Rahman have is that if they no longer live in Bangladesh, the corruption and poverty happening there does not impact their lives. What they may not be fully aware of is the fact that when they are addressed to speak on the issues or history of their country, the Americanized mentality conflicts with an inner struggle of identity. Thus, many Bengali-Americans shy away from even wanting to learn about their homeland.
It is a busy Saturday afternoon at the Red Ribbon Bakeshop in Woodside, Queens, home to the largest Filipinos community in New York City. 38,000 Filipinos reside in Queens the 2010 Census reported. As many Filipinos are enjoying bake goods back from home, the talk of the community has been about the president back at home.
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has the world in shocked with his operation the war on drugs, according to the Human Rights Watch, since taking office on June 30, 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has launched an abusive and violation “war on drugs” that has resulted in the deaths of more than 6,000 Filipinos to date. Many have called this extrajudicial killing; the term means it is the assassination or murder of a person by governmental authorities without the sanction of any judicial proceeding or legal process.
There has been a drug problem in the Philippines. According to the Philippine Dangerous Drugs Board it estimated a total of 1.8 million drug users. The two of the most used and valuable illegal drugs in the country are methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) and marijuana, it has led to many illegal drug trading.
The leader of Philippines vowed to eliminate all drug offenders during his presidential campaign and currently. “If I couldn’t convince you to stop, I’ll have you killed… if you’re into drugs, I’m very sorry. I’ll have to apologize to your family because you’ll surely get killed.” Said Duterte.
The Republic Act No. 9189, otherwise known as “The Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003, all citizens of the Philippines abroad, at least eighteen (18) years of age on the day of the elections, and who are registered overseas voters, may vote for the President.
When elections were held in May last year 2016. Duterte won the overseas vote. In the United States primarily he got 24,789 votes from the Filipinos community. In New York City, there are some mixed opinions about president Duterte actions.
“My young nephews at home is living in fear because they can die without no reason,” said Geraldine Ocampo, 32 a Woodside resident from the Philippines. Ocampo’s family resides in Davo, in which Duterte was mayor of the city.
“Dutrerte is doing what no other president has done over the last decade; Clean the streets” said Flushing resident Thomas Zabala, 56, his family reside in the capital Manila. The city of Manila has painted the massive “war on drugs” killings according to The Philippine National Police’s data indicates that police killed at least 2,250 in Manila “suspected drug personalities” from July 2016 to January 2017.
There have been protest throughout New York City over the past months organized by human rights activists and Filipino American organizations. Emily Sanderson is organizer of Vocal NYC and Health Gap, just recently organized a protest in front of the Philippines Consulate on 5th Avenue.
“It is unacceptable that Rodrigo Duterte is not responsible for the killings of innocent people with drug abuse and no help by the Duterte government” said Sanderson.
The Philippine leader just recently stated in a conference in china “Filipinos in America are not Filipinos,” because “The Filipinos in America are not Filipinos anymore, they’re Americans. Their attitude is American.” The younger generation of Filipino Americans is taking action. The New York University’s International Filipino Association is home to the NYU Filipino students.
Ruthie Ofrasio 20, a junior year student at New York University, is concern on how Filipinos Americans has not raised their voice. “The Voice Filipinos everywhere is important even if they are not home, what is happening in my country is devastating and we as Filipinos have make actions” said Ofrasio.
100 Years Later, Scholars Remember Ukrainian Revolution
By Anne Ehart
Panelists at the Friday, February 24 “Ukrainian Statehood 1917-21: Institutions and Individuals” conference at Columbia University.
100 years ago today, Ukraine was in the midst of a struggle for independence from Russia. From 1917-1921, war was waged between Ukrainian independence and Soviet forces, resulting in the creation of the Ukrainian National Republic.
Today, Ukraine is once again butting heads with Russia, fighting off Russian military and pro-Russia separatist groups attempting to take control of Ukraine.
On February 24 and 25, the Ukrainian Studies Program at Columbia University commemorated the 100-year anniversary of the Ukrainian revolution with a series of panel discussions entitled “Ukrainian statehood 1917-21: Institutions and Individuals.”
For my next story, I was thinking of going in a more light hearted direction and concentrate on a lifestyle/culture piece. When I was exploring the Committee for U.S-China relation’s website, I saw they were giving a talk about the role of China in Hollywood last month. I thought it would be fun to attend that conversation, but it was too late. I still think this would be an interesting subject to explore.
A very interesting aspect that had come to my attention lately is the “whitewashing” in Hollywood of movie roles. This means the act of taking a role that is meant for a non-white person (mostly when doing biopics) and putting a Caucasian in their place. This recently occurred with the movie “The Great Wall” starring Matt Damon and in the movie, “Ghost in the Shell,” a fictional piece starring Scarlett Johannson. I think the latter is based on a Japanese series, but it has occurred with plenty of Chinese characters and stories as well.
I’m thinking of interviewing the program director of Cinema Studies at City College because the description of the program explains how the students study film and the different aspects of how it is made. I think it would be interesting to hear his opinion and I’m hoping he will be able to connect me to a student of Chinese descent to get his/her’s take on white washing in Hollywood.
A red hot grill begins to cool as it is time for a busy restaurant in Queens to close its door for the night. Joshua Garcia, 26, begins his closing duties and works as a chef to make ends meet. He has relocated from his homeland Puerto Rico, to here in New York City area.
Garcia will be one of many Puerto Ricans who have moved to the states due to lack of opportunities back home. “It was a difficult decision to leave but I felt it was best for me and those who I cared for.” said Garcia.
Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States. The tropical climate and intoxicating culture makes it a sought after vacation spot for several looking to plan a getaway. While that still may hold true the island is in the middle of one of the worst debt crisis in the modern the era. Simply put, the Government of Puerto Rico cannot pay what it owes and its economy is suffering. Numerous business can’t afford to keep their doors open and those once clear waters begin to seem a little murky.
Financial opportunity is one of the main motivator for moving to the United States, as seen in the Census Bureau data. According to Pew Research, among island-born Puerto Ricans who moved to the mainland, 40% said they left mainly for job-related reasons. As a result, the island’s population dropped by a staggering 9% in 2015 down 334,000 from the year 2000.
Puerto Rico is facing a major debt crisis estimated to be at the $70 billion mark. Many key components played into the debt crisis which almost doubled from $43 billion in 2006 to $70 billion in 2015. Government overspending, which meant it spent more money than it took from taxes. Puerto Rico lost its ability to claim bankruptcy that if were in effect would see the island and the court work toward a viable payment plan. Citizens, most notably skilled workers such as doctors and engineers are leaving the island in search of financial security. Puerto Rico is at an unemployment rate of 12.2% as of 2015 according, to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Things are not looking good over there (Puerto Rico). I worked as a paramedic and still worried about my future” added, Garcia.
Puerto may have difficulty receiving aid from the United States under the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has publicly stated during his campaigning in 2016 that he will not aid Puerto Rico in its debt and sees only one way out, cut spending.
“I wouldn’t bail them out, Puerto Rico has far far too much debt.” Trump told CNN.
However, a solution has been proposed by the Obama administration before leaving office labeled the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA). The law would enact a federal oversight board that would discuss the reformation of Puerto Rico’s debt.
If put into action PROMESA would enable the Puerto Rican government to enter a pseudo bankruptcy status. This will halt proceedings in the event of default, preventing a taxpayer bailout.
The future of the Puerto Rico and its debts crisis still remains to be seen as of 2017. In order to overcome there has to be unison in the fact that the Puerto Rico debt crisis is an American crisis as well. Many Americans have investments through Puerto Rico’s municipal bonds. Municipal bonds makes up a large portion of Puerto Rico’s debt. Which means many Americans have a significant portion of their savings in government debt that might not be repaid. This may have lingering effect on America’s economy as a result. PROMESA seems to be a step in the right direction.
When asked if he ever considers moving back to Puerto Rico.
“I would love to go back, it’s still my home but things have to change first.” Garcia replied.
Poverty, inequality and drugs are few of the main problems in Colombia throughout the years. Some of the more current problems in Colombia include the political issues and the Zika virus. However, the largest controversy continues to revolve around the relationship between the Colombian government and the rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed forces of Colombia (FARC). FARC was founded in 1964 during the Cold War and they follow a Marxist-Leninist ideology. FARC started off as primarily poor farmers who sought out for equality.
After voters rejected a peace treaty between Colombia’s government and FARC in October 2016, the Government then went through congress to agree to a newly revised treaty in November, most likely with the disapproval of the people.
Where does one get their news from when the media is primarily controlled by either the wealthy or one of the two main political parties? Colombia was ranked 128th in 2015 on the Reporters without Borders freedom scale, so it’s safe to say that it’s a dangerous place for journalist coming from abroad. Some Colombians in the United States do not believe that the media paints the full picture.
Brayan Cano, 26 year old youth soccer coach for the New York Star Premier, moved to the United States when he was 10 years old for a chance at a better life and more opportunities than his family thought Colombia could offer. Cano is one of the ones currently living in the United States that feels the media isn’t entirely reliable. “In Colombia it’s a lot of corruption so the news and the media are always going to show you what is going to get them ratings and more views. So, they might report on big events but they never get deep within the issue. Like with the whole FARC situation, not once have I seen them go into the poor neighborhoods or to the voters who were most affected.”
Bray Cano, 26
LuizCarime Baez, 49 years old, is one of the ones to move to the United States who was directly affected by FARC.
Like Cano, Baez, moved to the United States with her family when she was 10 years old, in search for a better life. Nearly 20 years ago Baez’s uncle was kidnapped by the rebel group for 30 days. He was deprived of his land and most of his savings.
Many believe that only the voices being heard are the ones in power. Those in power are either the ones with money or guns. Baez, however, finds the media in Colombia to be reliable, even from the perspective of someone living in the United States.
Baez says, “I believe Colombia resources are reliable. We have a variety of sources, we have freedom of speech and we are not controlled by the government.”
The divide between the audiences of the Colombian media is as evident as the divide between those in support of the peace treaty and those who are not. What is not as evident is the future state of Colombia.
I have a couple potential stories for the next assignment. Though these are not newsworthy, there is a Ukrainian concert followed by a meet the composer and a Ukrainian poetry reading through the Ukrainian Institute of America. While it would also be interesting to me to get a taste of Ukrainian culture, any coverage of Ukraine right now gives it exposure and generates awareness for it, which is greatly needed. In addition, either of these could make lovely radio or photo pieces. Another more newsworthy idea has to do with the release of movie “Bitter Harvest” in late February. The movie depicts the Holodomor starvation in Ukraine in the 1930s. While there are many reviews out about the movie, I’d like to hear from Ukrainians. Are they glad a movie is shedding light on this devastating part of Ukrainian history? What do they think of the movie itself? Even better, can I find someone who lived through this time to give their input? This would be a written piece. I need to do some reaching out to gauge the quality of the story I would get for the movie piece, whereas the less newsworthy concert and poetry events seem like a no brainer.
There are families living tents in Haiti, struggling to build their lives back together, hurricane after hurricane and earthquake after earthquake, but in the rural towns of Haiti the view is different. The sun is unbearably hot, but children still willingly pack themselves in non-airconditioned rooms with books in their hands. Their faces are drawn wide in smiles, proud of the blue uniform they are wearing. Nearly 50 of these children pack themselves into this room, while some are in other “classrooms” made up of benches and tarp to shield them from the sun. Although this may seem like terrible conditions for students, it is the reality that some children in Haiti have to face.
The educational environment in Haiti is very broad, ranging from the best government run schools in the city, to tent schools run by nonprofit organizations.
Haitian children smiling in their temporary tent school
For Pastor Mario Augustave, running his own non-profit organization, tent schools are not an uncommon sight. With his American based non-profit organization, Voices For Haiti, Augustave and his team have gone into his home country and assist it as best as they can, especially when it comes to education in rural communities.
Others running non-profit organizations like Augustave recognize that education is one of the most important issues in Haiti to tackle. “Without the proper education of Haitian children, the country is continually left vulnerable,” Augustave tells me at his pastor’s office at Emmaus Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The church is located in Flatbush, a Brooklyn neighboorhood, with a dense population of Haitian-Americans. “The children are the future, and an illiterate future is almost guaranteed to go nowhere.”
According to the CIA’s World Factbook, the total percentage of people who can read and write in Haiti above 15 years of age is 60.7 percent which is a far cry from other Caribbean countries which are 90 percent and above. These literacy rates are due to a limited amount of schools in the country.
And yet, it seems the Haitian government is not interested in the future of their nation.
According to Sionfonds for Haiti, the government is only responsible for 10 percent of schools in Haiti. Haiti as a whole has only 15, 200 primary schools, of which 90 percent of these schools are non-public and are managed by communities, religious organizations, or NGOs.
“When I was growing up in Haiti, every school I knew was private. I didn’t think there were public schools in our country. I can imagine that it’s worse,” said Adeline Francois, age 46, a current New York resident who lived in Haiti until 1994. “The amount of public schools are probably lower than before.”
Community, religious organization, or NGO – run schools, need constant funding from outside sources – usually United States and Canadian residents – to keep their schools running since they are non-profit organizations. Because they are so reliant from funding from the outside it is difficult for these schools to properly function. Necessities like bathrooms and plumbing are rare. School supplies like textbooks, notebooks, and pencils are in limited supply, and sometimes teachers cannot be paid. Many are essentially doing volunteer work.
The school that Voices For Haiti runs in a state of disrepair
And while these teachers may be teaching students for free, many teachers are not even properly trained to handle a class. According to the World Bank, many teachers are not the most effective at handling a class.
“Most instructional time is spent on lecturing or eliciting responses in unison from the class, and responses were often related to repetition and memorization. Teachers rarely acknowledged or corrected the many incorrect answers or lack of answers noted by observers. These methods have limited effectiveness in teaching children, especially young children, the foundational cognitive skills they need to succeed in school,” says Melissa Adelman and David Evans of the World Bank.
Even with low funds and ineffective teachers, Haiti is still trudging through. Thanks to organizations like Voices For Haiti, there is good work being done in Haiti when it comes to education. According to The World Bank, there is a happy side to this story. Enrollment rates have risen from 78 percent to 90 percent, and tuition fee waivers are being implemented in private schools around Haiti. There is also more engagement with the government and schools to train teachers to better help and engage the classes.
“It is hard,” Augustave says. “But we are doing God’s work in Haiti. Right now I am going around churches in New York to collect funds to build a well at the school. People don’t think they are doing much by putting in a dollar, but to the kids over there in Haiti, it means the world to them.”
